Chocolate Salted Caramel Cupcakes

Have you ever had salted caramel? If not I highly recommend doing so right now.  Don't worry I'll wait.... OK so now that we have that out of the way check out these cupcakes.  I tried salted caramel not too long ago and mmm it is so good.  So when I saw these cupcakes I almost fell out of my chair!  First Salted caramel and second chocolate I mean no brainer right! 

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First whisk together your dry ingredients and then pour into your mixing bowl

Fill your cupcake liners 3/4 of the way full and then bake for 15 minutes turning halfway through

After COMPLETELY cooled cut out small hole in center

Next you will fill the center with the caramel concoction and then ice and then devour.

Next add your wet ingredients and mix until smooth and combined scrape sides down when necessary

Take out when a toothpick inserted comes out clean and then let cool on a wire rack 

About this size. Also take into consideration that I have child size hands.

And maybe you will leave just one for your sweetie to try!

Happy Treats!

Cake

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of flour
3/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 larges eggs
3/4 cup of buttermilk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup of warm water

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 and line your muffin tin with liners. (My batch made 18 cupcakes)
2. In a bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
3. Pour dry ingredients into mixing bowl and add eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil, vanilla and water.  Mix until smooth and combined.
4. Pour batter into fill muffin cups 3/4 of the way full and put in preheated oven for 15 minutes turning halfway through baking time.
5. Pull cupcakes out of oven with inserted toothpick comes out clean. Place on wire cooling racks for 10 minutes. Then pull cupcakes out of tin to cool completely.
6. After COMPLETELY cooled use a paring knife to cut a cone shape out of center.
7. Then add caramel, icing and garnish with sea salt! 

Salted caramel filling

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups of sugar
2/3 cup of water
1 tablespoon of light corn syrup
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

Directions:

1. Heat sugar with water and corn syrup over high heat stirring occasionally until syrup is clear clip a candy thermometer to side of pan. Stop stirring and cook until it comes to a boil.
2. Boil and gently swirl pan until mixture is caramelized and reaches 360.
3. Remove from heat and slowly pour in cream (Be careful it may spatter) and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth.
4. Stir in sea salt and then use immediately. 

Dark Chocolate Frosting*

Ingredients:

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon of boiling water
2 1/2 cups (4 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
3/4 cup of powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 pounds (20 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate melted and cooled

Directions:

1. Combine cocoa and boiling water and stir until cocoa has dissolved.
2. With mixer beat butter, powdered sugar and salt until pale and fluffy.
3. Add melted chocolate until combined scraping down sides as needed.
4. Add cocoa mixture and beat until combined.

 * You probably won't use the whole mixture of frosting on cupcakes so I strongly suggest dipping bananas, strawberries, pretzels or your finger in the left over icing!

recipes adapted from Martha Stewart

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